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Expectations
Jeff WeinkaufLuke 7:18-35
18-19 John’s disciples reported back to him the news of all these events taking place. He sent two of them to the Master to ask the question, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”
20 The men showed up before Jesus and said, “John the Baptizer sent us to ask you, ‘Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?’”
21-23 In the next two or three hours Jesus healed many from diseases, distress, and evil spirits. To many of the blind he gave the gift of sight. Then he gave his answer: “Go back and tell John what you have just seen and heard:
The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth
have God’s salvation hospitality extended to them.
“Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves fortunate!”
24-27 After John’s messengers left to make their report, Jesus said more about John to the crowd of people. “What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A messenger from God? That’s right, a messenger! Probably the greatest messenger you’ll ever hear. He is the messenger Malachi announced when he wrote,
I’m sending my messenger on ahead
To make the road smooth for you.
28-30 “Let me lay it out for you as plainly as I can: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer, but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. The ordinary and disreputable people who heard John, by being baptized by him into the kingdom, are the clearest evidence; the Pharisees and religious officials would have nothing to do with such a baptism, wouldn’t think of giving up their place in line to their inferiors.
31-35 “How can I account for the people of this generation? They’re like spoiled children complaining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk but you were always too busy.’ John the Baptizer came fasting and you called him crazy. The Son of Man came feasting and you called him a lush. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”
"Are you the one we've been expecting, or are we still waiting?" It's a question loaded with possibilities. John had made it very clear he was NOT the one but was only tasked with preparing the way for the one. Now that Jesus was around, the baptizer had sent his team to ask straight out, "Are you the one we've been expecting?".
I like it because, I think they were treating the interaction simply as an alignment question. If Jesus you are in fact the one, then we look to you for direction and marching orders. Just tell us if you're him Jesus because we're ready to go.
If you study logic, this is called a "conditional" statement. A conditional can also be called an implication. If this criteria is met, then this function will happen. The same idea is also found through out computer science. If this, then that. Simple.
Jesus takes it a different direction though, He makes it a heart question. He could have simply said "Yup" I'm the one. Condition met, implication follow me. But really what He wants to know was what was the "it" they were ready to receive as "the one"? There in lies the problem. For many the expectation of what the Messiah would be was a mighty king, a triumphal entry. A grab back of power from the Romans and freedom from tyranny. A strong king who would act like king David or king Solomon. Palaces, armies, grandeur. A return to the days of greatness for Israel.
Interestingly that's what we got, but really not in the way anyone expected it. You see our hopes are often very two dimensional. We/They think about deliverance pretty much one way. Specifically how WE'D do it. BIG show of force, Shackles are removed and there's dancing in the streets. Which is great, but is that really the freedom God had promised? Was liberty only supposed to be a moment where all is well, then later when we're all partied out we eventually slide back into a new set of entrapments? Think about WW2, and how the Allies freed Europe from Germany? Did that solve the big problem of humanity or just (for a very short season) set things right?
God's solution (through Jesus) was multi dimensional. He absolutely was a King worthy of all honor and praise. He showed it though through His actions and not just by the usual trappings of what kings were about. In fact he left his "palace" and his seat of honor to be with us. His entry was triumphal with a birth announcement that included "a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and singing Glory to God in the Highest". Even though it all happened not in the social centers of Israel but in lowly Bethlehem in a barn. Which is backwards of what folks "expected".
He didn't storm any specific seat of earthly power, but went right to the stronghold of hell and kicked in the doors. He didn't set us free temporarily, He set us free for all time. He even removed any power death has. Think about that, DEATH is a toothless tiger now because of what Jesus did for us. God's solution was the "nuclear option" it was total and complete lacking in nothing. It was the chance to to be right with Him and in turn be called family. We no longer are separated from God, because Jesus paid for our entry with his perfection (Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." John 1:29)
In the end God's messiah gave the kind of freedom we all need which has little to do with our physical surroundings or circumstances.
So what are my expectations of Jesus. Are they the two dimensional kind or do I leave room for God's multi dimensional plan. Is my interaction with messiah just a conditional if/then type? Just simply transactional in nature? Are my expectations in alignment with what He's actually here to do, or just something else I've dreamed up (which may actually run contrary to what He's here to do). John's disciples asked "are you the one we've been expecting?" Jesus showed them what He was doing then said "Is this what you've been expecting? Then count yourself fortunate!" I need to ask God to show me what He's up to, and ask to be a part of that even if it's not what I originally came expecting to do.
God please help me to see clearly what you are doing and what my part is in it. God help me to dream more like you do in completeness with out restriction. Please be the voice that shapes my expectations. Amen.
